No Morozov, But Russia Still First In 4×100 Free Relay Heats

2016 RIO OLYMPIC GAMES

• Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• Swimming: August 6-13
• Olympic Aquatics Stadium, Barra Olympic Park, Rio de Janeiro
• Prelims – 9:00 a.m/12:00 p.m PST/EST (1:00 p.m local), Finals – 6:00 p.m/9:00 p.m PST/EST (10:00 p.m local)
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• Day 1 Schedule & Results
• Live Stream (NBC)

Former world champ Vlad Morozov sat out of prelims of the men’s 4×100 free relay, but his Russian team still managed to qualify first overall.

That came courtesy of two huge 47.6 splits from Danila Izotov and Alexander Sukhorukov. Those splits are almost a full second faster than both men’s season-bests.

Sukhorukov had been 48.55 and Izotov 48.58 so far this year, both at Russia’s national championships back in April. Sukhorukov anchored this morning’s relay in 47.63 and Izotov swam third in 47.65.

Russia’s 3:12.04 tops the Americans by three tenths for the top spot going into finals, and they’ve still got time to drop from there. Adding on Morozov could cut a half-second or more – he was 47.9 from a flat start last year and has been 48.0 this year. Even scarier: Morozov split a field-best 46.9 at last summer’s World Championships, where Russia took silver.

And Andriy Grechin can probably be faster than his 48.58 leadoff this morning. Grechin was 48.18 at Russian Nationals in April.

Aleksandr Popkov had a decent 48.1 split this morning, but he’s probably the odd man out in the final, along with 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Nikita Lobintsev, who has only been 48.6 this year.

Both the Americans and the Australians have some legs to swap out tonight too, though, which should add some intrigue to the first medal final in a men’s relay of these Olympics.